The Brotherhood of the Bell

Glenn Ford as Andrew Patterson.

During an induction ceremony into the Brotherhood of the Bell, St. George College student Philip Dunning is told that his secret society brethren will take care of him. They will mentor him, provide useful business contacts, and put him on the path to financial success. In return, he only has to do what the Brotherhood asks of him at a future date.

Andrew Patterson, a long-time brother who attended Dunning's ceremony, learns that it's his time to do the Brotherhood's bidding. He receives a letter instructing him to ensure that one of his colleagues at the Institute for the Study of Western Civilization turns down a job offer from another academic institution. If his colleague refuses to comply, Patterson (Glenn Ford) is to threaten to release information about the people who helped the man to defect.

Rosemary Forsyth as
Andrew's confused wife.

Patterson tries to refuse the assignment. But he eventually does threaten to use the letter and learns the next day that his colleague has committed suicide. Racked with guilt, Patterson tries to expose the Brotherhood of the Bell--not realizing how strong a grip the secret society has on every aspect of his life.

Made for television in 1971, The Brotherhood of the Bell is an effective paranoid thriller for most of its 100-minute running time. Much of the credit belongs to Glenn Ford, who creates a believable and sympathetic protagonist.

One wishes, however, that his character--a well-regarded researcher at a Los Angeles think tank--would display more intelligence. When he meets with a "federal agent," he neglects to confirm the man's identification. He also takes on the Brotherhood without first considering the second-order effects on his family. Without documented proof or collaborating witnesses, why would Andrew Patterson think that anyone would believe his preposterous story about an all-powerful secret society?

Based on a novel by David Karp, an earlier version of The Brotherhood of the Bell was produced as a live TV drama on the Studio One anthology series in 1958. It starred Cameron Mitchell, Tom Drake, and Joanne Dru. Although Karp didn't write the Studio One teleplay, he did pen scripts for TV series such as The Untouchables, I Spy, and The Defenders (for which he won an Emmy). For the 1970 telefilm The Brotherhood of the Bell, Karp adapted his own book. He went on to create the Hawkins TV series for James Stewart in 1973.

I'd be curious to know if Karp differed from his novel to add the scene featuring William Conrad as an incendiary TV show host who disparages Patterson. It comes across as a needless scene created just to extend the running time.

Dean Jagger as a baddie.

The Brotherhood of the Bell is an absorbing film that goes on too long and opts for a contrived, unbelievable ending. Those weaknesses are overcome, however, by its original, disturbing premise and strong acting by Ford and Dean Jagger, who exudes quiet menace in a villainous role.

The Skulls (2000) shares many similarities, but limits its plot to a college setting. The much earlier Black Legion (1937), starring Humphrey Bogart, is also about a secret society. It works on a smaller scale, too, with the purpose of the title organization to instill fear in foreign workers.

Seven Obscure Movies That I Curiously Remember

I've seen thousands of movies. I remember most of them, but am sure I've forgotten quite a few. Curiously, I can recall some pretty obscure films. For no apparent reason. Most of my classic film friends have never heard of these movies, but they do exist. So today, I wanted to share seven obscure movies that still linger in the windmills..make that cobwebs...of my mind.

1. The 7th Commandment (1961) - This film is so obscure that I incorrectly thought the title was The Tenth Commandment for decades! Anyway, the memorable plot is about a low-life named Ted who believes he has killed a man in a car accident. He wanders away from the crash site and suffers trauma-induced amnesia. Ted is rescued by a traveling evangelist and eventually becomes a famous preacher. That's when his sordid past catches up with him in the form of blackmail.

T-Rex goes for a snack.

2. Dinosaurus! (1960) - Construction workers on a Caribbean island discover a T-Rex, a Brontosaurus, and a caveman encased in ice. A big storm (complete with lightning) melts the ice and revives all three. The image of the T-Rex attacking the excavator has stuck with me over the years. I used to have the Dell comic book, too.

Jock Mahoney in Joe Dakota.

3. Joe Dakota (1957) - In this Western mystery, a stranger who calls himself Joe Dakota visits a small California town and starts asking questions about "the Old Indian." Most of the townsfolk ignore the stranger, but a young woman claims that the Indian was known as...Joe Dakota. Think Bad Day at Black Rock on a modest budget and you'll get a feel for this interesting oater starring likable former stunt man Jock Mahoney (TV's Yancy Derringer).

Dean Jagger and Glenn Ford.

4. The Brotherhood of the Bell (1970) - Glenn Ford starred in this creepy made-for-TV film about a college professor who joins a secret society--only to realize the high cost later in life. I've only seen it once, but it reminded me of the early Humphrey Bogart film Black Legion. Written by David Karp, whose teleplay earned an Emmy nomination, an earlier version of The Brotherhood of the Bell was also produced for the classic 1950s TV anthology series Studio One.

5. Night Monster (1942) - Various people converge at the isolated, fog-enshrouded, swampy estate of rich crippled recluse Curt Ingston (Ralph Morgan). Three of the visitors--physicians who may have played a part in Ingston's paralysis--are murdered. This whodunit has achieved minor cult status due to its cast (Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi), the eerie atmosphere achieved by director Ford Beebe, and the bizarre climax. I don't know why it's not shown more often.

Rosemarie Bowe Stack.

6. The Golden Mistress (1954) - John Agar and Rosemarie Bowe team up as Caribbean treasure hunters in this lively low-budget adventure that features a miniature gold skeleton, voodoo, and a secret underwater passage. Never heard of the stunning Ms. Bowe? The former model only made a handful of films before marrying Robert Stack in 1956 and retiring (for the most part) from show business. They remained married until his death in 2003.

Shatner in Impulse.

7. Impulse (1974) - Honestly, there's no way I could write a better plot summary than this one from the IMDb: "A paranoid, leisure-suit-wearing conman/gigolo named Matt Stone seduces lonely women, bilks them of their savings via an investment scam, then kills them." Now, imagine that Matt is played by a scenery-chewing William Shatner! Actually, what I remember most about this film is that Impulse co-star Harold Sakata--who played Oddjob in Goldfinger--appeared at a local cinema promoting the film. I didn't get see Sakata, but I remember the film and Shatner's fake headaches to this day.